Escape Velocity Grants

Pockets of natural habitats in urban ecosystems are some of the most vital and challenging habitats to conserve. They help threatened wildlife survive even amidst rapid urbanisation and anthropogenic disturbances. The mangroves of Mumbai exemplify this phenomenon; Mumbai’s mangroves persist in fragmented patches along the city’s coast and are among the last preserved natural forests in the city. They also serve as important habitat refuges for many wild species.

Among these imperilled species is the elusive Golden Jackal (Canis aureus), that persists in these mangroves while facing challenges like increasing human disturbance and habitat loss, and co-occurring with another sympatric carnivore, the free-ranging dog (Canis familiaris) which is known to pose threats to wildlife in multiple ways. This study aims to investigate how Golden Jackals persist in Mumbai’s mangroves alongside high densities of free-ranging dogs, by understanding (1) jackal space-use patterns, (2) spatio-temporal interactions between the two species, and the factors that enable overlaps in their spatial niche, and (3) how their gut microbiome differs (as an indicator of dietary niche overlap). This will be done through camera trap surveys to understand space use, spatiotemporal patterns, interactions, along with application of molecular methods to scats of dogs and jackals for microbiome analysis. By understanding the ecological interactions between the two species, the study will identify potential hotspots of interactions that could pose a threat to the jackal population, and prioritize management strategies and areas for conservation. The study will also generate critical insights into mesocarnivore coexistence with dogs in highly disturbed and fragme